The framers of The United States Constitution and The Bill Of Rights were well aware of the necessity of an armed populace. Their focus was of course on the defense of the people against tyranny, although the concept of a common defense — independent of a standing army (which was viewed with some suspicion) — against enemies was well established.
That it is explicitly codified in our founding document is a testament to their wisdom, their trust in their fellow Americans, and their distrust of the power of the state.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Israel has none of that, and as we saw on October 7th, relying on the government for all things is a grave flaw in any democratic system.
Most Israelis are drafted as teenagers and do at least a minimum amount of basic training. So from that perspective they are far better prepared as the first line of defense against exactly the sort of barbarism perpetrated by the savages from Gaza. Hundreds of people were murdered…casually…easily…at the terrorists’ leisure…because they were not armed and had no way to defend themselves and others. In the few examples of people who fought back, they held their own against onslaughts of Hamas “fighters,” and saved countless lives. Just look at Kibbutz Nir Am for a sense of what could have been had more people been armed.
It is incumbent upon the people of the state of Israel to agitate for a radical rethinking of their gun laws, and for a robust legal guarantee along the lines of America’s 2nd Amendment that the government cannot control the people and their God-given right to self defense against…everything!
Will this increase the use of guns in crime? Probably. But free countries have always had to deal with the chaos of freedom, and the misuse of guns by criminals is an unfortunate part of that. That is what laws are designed to punish and hopefully minimize. But in retrospect I suspect that most Israelis would choose being armed over being what the government defines as “safe.”
In all seriousness, you aren’t a true citizen of this country if you don’t possess and train with a firearm. It’s a requirement. Right becomes obligation damn quick given the real world circumstance.